Although the Chevy Volt is expected to hit dealerships in late November, the auto world is still waiting on the EPA's official fuel efficiency rating.

The Chevy Volt created instant buzz when it was first announced years ago, and aside from queries about the vehicle’s engine technology, one of the most often asked questions is what the Volt’s fuel efficiency rating will be. Fast forward to now, when Chevrolet dealerships in select markets are preparing for the Chevy Volt’s arrival in late November, and everyone is still asking about the vehicle’s fuel efficiency rating.

In 2009, General Motors announced that the 2011 Chevy Volt could achieve 230 miles per gallon. Nissan quickly followed suit with an announcement that the Leaf could achieve 367 mpg using the same formula that that GM used for the Volt. Of course the Nissan Leaf doesn’t use any fuel so its announcement was more of a poke at GM for the 230-mpg announcement than anything else. However, this announcement did create quite a buzz about the eventual EPA rating for the Volt.

So here it is, a full year later, and although the EPA has dismissed the 230-mpg claim by GM, the organization has yet to release the Chevy Volt’s fuel efficiency information. While prospective Volt buyers may not care what the sticker says, the EPA needs to put some sort of fuel efficiency information on the window sticker so dealerships can sell the vehicle.

According to an article in the New York Times, EPA spokeswoman Cathy Milbourn would not reveal an exact date for the Volt’s fuel efficiency announcement but said the rating would be given “shortly” and the vehicle’s rating would be determined using the organization’s standard testing procedures.

This problem is not isolated to the Chevy Volt, either. Nissan is still waiting for EPA to decide the fuel efficiency rating for its upcoming Leaf all-electric vehicle. The Leaf will be available later this year, again in select markets, but prospective Leaf buyers are in the same boat as prospective Chevy Volt buyers — how many miles per gallon will these new vehicles achieve?